Rotating multiple barrel aircraft gun



Feb. 14, 1961 J. F. OBRIEN 2,971,440

ROTATING MULTIPLE BARREL AIRCRAFT GUN Filed Jan. 23, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet l IAIIVENTOR. JDhTlF. C1 B1 r1511 HTTURNEYS,

J. F. O'BRIEN ROTATING MULTIPLE BARREL AIRCRAFT GUN 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Feb. 14, 1961 Filed Jan. 25, 1956 I 25 31k (22 23 2o 23 N. O "24 l 20 38 I 4o 42 4o I INVENTOR. Jul-111E U'Ehmen W25. W (Wz 62.41;. (2.1,

HTTJQNEYJZ United States Patent ROTATING MULTIPLE BARREL AIRCRAFT GUN John F. OBrien, Springfield, Mass., assignor to the United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Army Filed Jan. 23, 1956, Ser. No. 560,910

3 Claims. (Cl. 89-426) (Granted under Title 35, US. Code (1952), sec. 266) The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government for governmental purposes without the payment of any royalty thereon.

My invention relates to a rotoramic gun and more particularly to a compact and comparatively light version of such a gun for application to aircraft and the like.

The original rotoramic gun includes multiple barrels for continuous rotation about a common axis and axial chambers directed by a receiver cam in a transverse path around the axis including a firing arc and a charging are for continuous unidirectional loading and unloading of the chambers responsive to operation of the gun. Such a gun is capable of a high rate of fire since the barrels Other aims and objects of my invention will appear from the following description thereof.

In the implementation of my invention, a" gun with a receiver includes a plurality of barrels symmetrically secured around the axis of a rotor journaled in the receiver, and corresponding chambers respectively disposed in carriages guided in radial ways in the rotor adjacent the breech ends of the barrels. The carriages respectively include followers for engagement with a closed cam in the receiver to guide the chambers in a continuous path around the axis, including an arc of radial clearance between the chambers and the barrels for charging the chambers, and a firing arc of axial alignment of the chambers and the barrels. The firing arc includes a firing station of the chambers, usually the six oclock position thereof nearest the base of the receiver, for discharge of cartridges through the barrels.

The gun includes a device to rotate the shaft of the rotor responsive to the discharge, a feeder for the gun including a sprocket secured to the shaft to convey cartridges into alignment with the chambers in the clearance arc, and a cam on the receiver to guide the cartridges into the clearance arc chambers responsive to the rotation. A hopper for cartridges is secured to the receiver and a sprocket in the hopper is geared to the rotor to deliver the cartridges to the alignment sprocket.

For a more complete understanding of my invention, reference is directed to the following description and accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. l is an elevation of a gun incorporating one em-- bodiment of my invention;

(Fig. 2 is an enlarged view along line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged view along line 33 of Fig. 1;

'ice

Fig. 4 is a view along line 44 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged view along line 5-5 of Fig'. 4; and

Fig. 6 is an enlarged perspective view partly cut away showing the relationship of the rotor and the receiver cam.

Shown in the figures is a gun 12 having a receiver 14 and a rotor 15 which is mounted therein for rotation on a shaft 16. Provided at the rear end of rotor 15 is a concentric, larger diameter portion 79 and symmetrically mounted in such rotor around shaft16, so that the breech ends are adjacent such larger diameter portion, are three barrels 18.

The chamber for each of the barrels 18 is formed as a separate member 20 which is slidingly mounted in larger diameter portion 19 of rotor 15, as hereinafter described, for reciprocation between a battery position in alignment with the corresponding one of the barrels and an extraction position out of such alignment therewith. The chamber members 210 are cylindrical in configuration and each is provided with an axial bore 21 for the sliding passage of a cylindrical cartridge 34 therethrough. When in their respective battery positions the chamber members are in axial alignment with the corresponding ones of the barrels 18 and when in their respective extraction positions the bores thereof are clear of the outside periphery of rotor 15 whereby the fired cases of the cartridges, noted at 35, may be moved forwardly out of the chamber members.

symmetrically arranged in larger diameter portion 19 are three radially extending ways 23. Slidably mounted in each of the ways 23 is a carriage 22 through which one of the chamber members 20 is fixedly mounted, as best shown in Fig. 6, so as to be slidable between the battery and extraction positions and rotatable with the corresponding one of the barrels 18 to a firing station. Such firing station is disposed at that portion of the rotating travel of the barrels 18 which is closest to the base of receiver 14.

Fixedly mounted in receiver 14 so as to be parallel to the rear face of larger diameter portion 19, is a cam plate 26 in the front face of which there is provided an endless cam groove 25 which slidingly receives a follower 24 mounted to each of the carriages 22. Cam groove 25 is so formed that when rotor 15 is rotated the carriages 22 are slidingly reciprocated in the ways 23 to move the chamber members 20 between the battery and extraction positions thereof and so that when one of the barrels 18 is in the firing station the corresponding one of the chambers 20 is in its respective battery position. Cam groove 25 is also formed so that the chamber members 20 are restrained in the extraction position thereof during approximately one-third of the rotating travel of the chamber members, which provides an elongated charging station for gun 12.

Cartridges 34 are supplied to gun 12 from a hopper 44 by means of a feed sprocket 46 which is geared to shaft 16 by means (not shown) and disposed to sequentially deliver cartridges from the hopper to a guide sprocket 38 mounted to such shaft, as best shown in Fig. 4. Provided in the perimeter of guide sprocket 38 are three carriers 40 for receiving cartridges 34 from feed sprocket 46. The carriers 40 are so disposed in guide sprocket 38 that the distance from the axis of such carriers to the axis of shaft 16 is the same as the distance from the axis of such shaft to the axis of the cartridges 34 when in the extraction position so that such cartridges may be transferred by means, as hereinafter described, from such carriers to the chamber members 20 aligned therewith during rotation thereof through the charging station. Provided in the upper part of receiver 14 is a cam 42 which is engageable by the rear ends of the cartridges 34 carried in the guide sprocket 38 when such cartridges are being rotatably moved through the charging station, as t 3 7 best shown in Fig. 5. Cam 42 is formed so as to cammingly transfer the cartridges from guide sprocket 38 into the corresponding chamber members 20 and through such transfer push the fired cases 35 out the front end of the chamber into respective ones of three troughs 39 mounted to the periphery of rotor 15 for ejection from gun 12 while the chamber members are moving through the charging station.

Thus, when gun 12 is fired and rotor 15 is rotated responsive to the discharge by means (not shown) nor a part of this invention, sprocket 46 is rotated to pick up cartridges 34 from hopper 44 by the tooth portions thereof for delivery to successive ones of the carriers 40 on guide sprocket 38 for rotation thereby into alignment with the chamber members 20 which are being simultaneously rotated through the charging station. At the same time, the chamber members 20 carrying the fired cases 35 are moved, through the engagement of the followers 24 on the corresponding carriages 22 with cam 25, from the battery to the extraction position while being rotated from the firing to the charging station. While the fired cases 35 are being carried through the charging station the cartridges 34 in guide sprocket 38 are pushed against the rear ends of the fired cases by cam 42 and as the rotation of rotor 15 continues such fired cases are ultimately moved entirely from the chamber members 20 when the cartridges are fully received therein and in position to be discharged by conventional firing means (not shown) when rotated to the firing station.

Although a particular embodiment of the invention has been described in detail herein, it is evident that many variations may be devised within the spirit and scope thereof and the following claims are intended to include such variations.

I claim:

l. A gun for firing cylindrical cartridges at a firing station therein comprising, a receiver, a cylindrical rotor mounted for rotation in said receiver and provided with a concentric larger diameter portion at the rear end thereof, a plurality of barrels mounted to the rotor symmetrical to the axis thereof, chamber members corresponding to said barrels and provided respectively with bores for passage of the cartridges therethrough, carriage means for mounting said chamber members in said larger diameter portion for sliding reciprocation between a battery position in aligned communication with corresponding ones of the said barrels and an extraction position wherein said bores are clear of said rotor, and cam means disposed between said receiver and said carriage means for moving said chamber members to the battery position when rotated with corresponding ones of said barrels to the firing station and for moving said chamber members to the extraction station for rotation therein during a portion of the rotation of said rotor.

2. A gun for firing cylindrical cartridges at a firing station therein, comprising a receiver, a cylindrical rotor mounted for rotation in the receiver and provided with a larger diameter portion at the rear end thereof, a plurality of barrels mounted to the rotor symmetrical to the axis thereof, chamber members corresponding to said barrels and provided respectively with bores for passage of the cartridges therethrough, carriage means for mounting said chamber members in said larger diameter portion for radial reciprocation therein between a battery position in aligned communication with corresponding ones of the said barrels and an extraction position wherein said bores are clear of said rotor, cam means disposed between said receiver and said carriage means for moving said chamber members to the battery position when rotated with corresponding ones of said barrels to the firing station and to the extraction station for rotation therein during travel through an elongated charging station during rotation of said rotor, and means for moving the cartridges into successive ones of said chamber members and simultaneously moving the fired cases of the cartridges from said bores when said chamber members are rotated through said charging station.

3. The gun as described in claim 2 wherein said means for moving the cartridges into said chamber members and the fired cases therefrom includes a guide sprocket for receiving cartridges from a feed sprocket and aligning the cartridges with corresponding ones of said chamber members when in the extraction positions thereof, and cam means for transferring the cartridges from said guide sprocket into corresponding ones of said chamber members for chambering therein and for simultaneously pushing the fired cases of the cartridges therefrom when said chamber members are actuated to the battery position and simultaneously to the firing station during rota.- tion of said rotor.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 332,741 Palmer Dec. 22, 1885 672,300 Turnbull Apr. 16, 1901 2,317,579 Bacon Apr. 27, 1943 2,756,639 Bird July 31, 1956 2,793,567 Kamp May 28, 1957 FOREIGN PATENTS 697,934 Great Britain Sept. 30, 1953 

